I reviewed Elizabeth Winkler's Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/k2-sWd3A70c?si=TOSKxTva8OJB4tya&t=338

I do not have an audio script available, unfortunately, but my video is critical of the author's analysis.

This was an interesting book to listen to. For some reason, the odd details - whether a person had tea or not, if granola was served - stood out among the examination of the authorship of Shakespeare's works. Winkler pokes the experts in an intriguing way and asks questions of academics that they may not have liked. It is a good question to research because his education does not necessarily point to his wonderful output.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This was an interesting and clearly well-researched dive into a part of history I hadn't known about before. There was, however, more of a personal take and opinion on others' views than I expected based on the early chapters and framing of the book. If you go in expecting it, it could be fun because Winkler has a distinct voice. However, I found myself wanting a slightly more balanced (or less biased) take on Shakespeare's authorship only because this was my first experience reading it — so that frankly is more on the reader than the writer.

A refreshing look at the 'Shakespeare taboo' told through the lens of a female journalist looking to capture the controversy at its core.

I was hoping to read a collection of essays related to the titled 'Other Heresies', instead I found a well-researched narrative on one core topic: Why is the question 'who was Shakespeare' so controversial?

All-in-all Winkler does an excellent job of presenting a compelling argument for scholarly open-mindedness. Though the bias of her view exists throughout, she is very candid about addressing it as 'her' learned experience.

Coming away from this book I have a newfound appreciation for contemporary debates and better understanding of historical study relating to the topic. I would caution, however, that the text is lofty and may require some additional time/research to grasp it in full. AND the topic could have been more succinct.

Overall a fascinating read.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy of this read in exchange for na honest review.]

Who is Shakespeare? Does it matter? Is it important to keep investigating the author of all of those plays and sonnets? This book examines the researchers and scholars who still believe this an incredibly important question. There are the Stratfordians, who conservatively believe that William Shakespeare is exactly as his name suggests. There are Oxfordians who believe the Earl of Oxford wrote Shakespeare’s work. There are Baconians and Marlovians. There are even those who are convinced that a woman had to be holding the pen. It is a fascinating exploration of whether or not the author even matters or does the work stand on its own without needing to know the history of the person who wrote it. I really enjoyed reading this book. I think the author does a fabulous job of letting us know why it is important to keep examining history and not just accepting facts that don’t add up. There is a lot of quotes and those from the 1500’s are especially grueling, but overall it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this work.

I received this digital Advance Review Copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars.

I knew the Shakespeare authorship debate was a thing, but I hadn't ever really looked into it. I knew there were a lot of theories, and I knew we didn't know a lot about Shakespeare....but this book y'all...holy crap. This book is neither for Shakespeare nor is it against him, but Winkler does a phenomenal job exploring ALL of the different theories -- even some wildly obscure and absurd ones. Winkler is also a reporter, so it's told not only in an easily digestible format, but it's done without a literary analysis lens (or a typical leaning toward believing in Shakespeare). There's history and conspiracy and some information that will absolutely blow your mind. I had to stop at some points and reconsider everything I had ever learned and taught about Shakespeare.

Now, there were some chunks where I felt my eyeballs skimm8ing the pages, so it is dense in material. It also felt like it abruptly ended. Winkler goes on this journey - a literal journey - to discover these different theories and it just ends on a chapter where the person interviewed believes in neither side of the coin. There is no summary or final thoughts...it just ends?

Otherwise, phenomenal.

Very well done and ultimately quite fun to read. At times this felt like a travelogue through Renaissance England’s most touristy sites; sometimes it was a transcript of aggressive and pretentious academic catfighting; sometimes it was thoughtful close-reading of famous poetry. Examining Shakespeare across each dimension felt fresh and engaging.

While it is true that Winkler’s thesis is fundamentally anti-Stratfordian, it is also clear that the project of this book is journalism, not activism. I learned a ton while reading this. More importantly, I savored the feeling of not knowing — of being swept up in a centuries-old mystery, of turning the evidence behind each candidate over in my mind. You might be tricked into thinking there is a conclusive answer about the authorship question to be found in this book. Instead, we are treated to alternate histories that each seem more plausible than the last. Ambiguity! Contradiction! Doubt! We think of “the academics” as the enlightened people who cut through uncertainties to find the truth on behalf of the masses. Instead, Winkler trusts her readers to take in the facts and make meaning themselves.

Wow! This book is outstanding! A surprisingly suspenseful page turner. I was expecting something dry and plodding but curious. No. This book is delicious! Love it. We’ve needed this book for so long. Well researched. Interesting. All encompassing. Anyone could pick up this book at any stage of Shakespeare knowledge from beginning to expert and fall into its depths. Love love love! One of my favorite reads of the year thus far.